In a move stemming from the possible failure to find a buyer for the iDEN network, Sprint has announced its renewed commitment to the long-term operation of the network. The carrier also reiterated plans to release 9 new iDEN devices from the fourth quarter to the first half of 2009, including the BlackBerry Curve 8350i and i576 as well as extending the long-term partnership with Motorola regarding iDEN development.
Sprint has also announced preliminary plans to roll out the currently CDMA only regional Unlimited by Boost offering on the iDEN network beginning in 2009 as a result of the recent investments in upgrading iDEN infrastructure.
Hmmm.. is it just me, or does that link go to Verizon and not Sprint?
Sorry, don’t know how that happened… but it is fixed.
I’m not tying to rag on Sprint (they are my provider), but how will they ever restore the Nextel name to ever mean anything to anyone again? At one time, Nextel, was considered a great company and the push-to-talk was considered almost necessary for some businesses. Now, it is just a shell of itself. How much money are they going to commit? Will anyone notice or care?
I don’t think Nextel will ever be what they were and I think they should have never done the merger. They would have done just fine in the current term in investing in the iDen network and could have done a dual band device line with data sharing from one of the other providers. Nextel though is still very sought after. In an area where there are construction companies everywhere we still sell more Nextel devices than we do Sprint and the Sprint PTT devices are flying off the shelves.
Sprint has lost the true IDEN customer forever. You’ll never get them back. Between poor customer service nand neglect of the IDEN network, it’s all lip service. Moreover, watching Dan Hesse make those commercials is pitiful. You want business? Have Motorola manufacturer a good looking phone at a reasonable price. Motorola has rode the Nextel wave and raped their customers as well. Next time your in a Sprint store, look at the CDMA wall. Handset manufacturers all fighting for your business with great functions, cameras, blue tooth, etc… all at extremely competitive prices. Now look at the IDEN wall. Five maybe six phones. The cheapest a $49.99 camera phone (i850) that’s at it’s “end of life” and their having a fire sale to get rid of them. Last summer, Motorola had the audacity to sell that piece of crap for $149.99! Sprint needs to find another manufacturer for the IDEN product if they want to relaunch with any success. Good Luck!
Sprint still has a chance with Nextel. But they can’t make the slightest mistake in this process. Some of the new phones coming to IDEN look very good, especially since they will be able to run evdo.
JJ, no iDEN phone can run EV-DO.
The only phone that has both iDEN and EV-DO, is the Motorola ic902, which is a PowerSource phone. It uses iDEN only for push-to-talk. Sprint has moved away from PowerSource phones.
Sprint phones with Direct Connect now use QChat, which is not iDEN. It is, however, compatible with iDEN… allowing Sprint Direct Connect users to communicate with Nextel Direct Connect phones.
I guess this puts to rest any thoughts on Sprint merging with anyone, right ? It was my belief, that shedding the Nextel division of their company would have made Sprint much more palatable to handle. Now, I think it makes it almost impossible for anyone to consider a purchase considering the logistics(merging the different technologies).
Unless Google or Comcast(both american companies) steps up with a bid………..
I don’t want to see them sold at all even though they are doing an about face on old policies, you think a new owner won’t continue to trim fat?
Personally, I dont think they(sprint) will be sold or merge with anyone. Atleast not anytime soon. By deciding to keep Nextel, in essence, they pulled the “for sale” sign off of them. I dont see how or why any other major carrier would want to take on such a financial burden(trying to merge the different technologies).
I see the move as grandstanding really.
All Sprint took (in terms of action, factoring out the press releases and marketing) is commit to eight iDEN phones… most of those were already in the pipeline.
If someone wanted to buy Sprint, the situation really hasn’t changed. They could sell off the iDEN network just as easily next week… as the week before last. Sprint hasn’t had a “for sale” sign on it (not since the days of MCI/WorldCom), the stock price was doing most of the talking…
But, in terms of grandstanding, it appears to be working… people are buying the line that iDEN is “here to stay”… and right now, that’s what Sprint wants everyone to feel, in terms of confidence.
The problem is, nobody will come anywhere near their asking price for Nextel……….But, then again, I guess anything is possible.